By Sean Jones: Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez surprisingly believes that WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol is not the best fighter he has faced in the professional ranks.
It’s hard to take that comment at face value, given the generally weak opposition Ramirez (44-0, 30 KOs) has faced during his 13-year pro career.
Lefty Ramirez will challenge Bivol for his WBA 175lb title on November 5 on DAZN at the Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi.
Ramírez’s best opposition:
Jesse Hard Yunieski Gonzalez Arthur Abraham Sullivan Barrera Roamer Alexis Angulo Maksym Bursak
The best thing Ramirez, 31, has going for him in this fight is his size. He is essentially a cruiserweight, who can still be cut down to get to the 175-pound division.
Until then, Ramirez rehydrated to 203 pounds for his last fight against Dominic Boesel in May. Ramirez looked like a cruiserweight inside the ring against Boesel in that fight, and that was enough for him to take the win.
Bivol is coming off a win over Canelo Alvarez last May, and he is going to make it difficult for Ramirez to impose his size in this fight. Bivol will use the move and make sure Ramirez doesn’t have a stationary target to land his big shots in this fight.
“Yes, it is true, and my body feels strong. I feel great at 175 pounds,” Gilberto Ramirez told Fighthype about being more aggressive at 175 than 168.
“Everyone has been watching my fights and what I’ve been doing in the ring, and I’m happy about that. This is my body weight. I think I have to make it an exciting fight all the time, throwing a lot of punches.
“People from Abu Dhabi and all over the world, it will be an exciting fight and I will have the [WBA 175-lb] belt. Should be [in California]. I don’t know what they’re doing in Abu Dhabi, but it’s fine.
“Anything, anywhere, I am ready to take the belt because in the ring, there is only Dmitry and me, and that is why I feel comfortable anywhere. Yes, it also has to make sense to everyone.
“I don’t feel any problem. I feel comfortable with this weight. Like I said, this is my correct weight of 175 pounds, and I’ll take this split. He has to deal with my range and my intelligence. It will be a difficult moment for him,” Gilberto said of Bivol.
“Yes, of course. You’re going to see Zurdo Ramírez trying to rip it off [to the body]And it will be exciting. Do not miss it. I have been with so many fighters and this is very important to me because it is a title fight. I’ve also been with really good fighters.
“Not really. I’ve been in the ring with so many good fighters,” Ramirez said when asked if Bivol is the best guy he’ll ever face. “This is important to me because it’s a world title fight, but I’ve also been with really good fighters.
“He has good style, good footwork and he also has good defense, but now is the time to show it with a different guy and a good fighter. No, I don’t think he likes it [the pressure].
“If he [Canelo Alvarez] he did very well in the first six rounds, but obviously, Bivol did better, trying to take the distance all the time. But as I say, it will be totally different with me, Zurdo Ramírez.
“I think Canelo did well and did everything he could in the ring, but I don’t think GGG deserves to fight Canelo again because he didn’t do enough.
“It was a bit sad for all the fans because they were expecting a fight like their first two fights. They were expecting a fight like that, but he [Golovkin] did nothing
“For me, he did well. He pushed all the time and tried to win every round,” Ramirez said when asked if Canelo is showing signs of determination. “GGG, he didn’t do enough. He just tried to survive the whole fight.
“I think the best have to fight the best,” Ramirez said when asked about his thoughts on Canelo, saying he doesn’t want to fight Mexicans. “After beating Bivol, I don’t care if he’s Chinese or Mexican. We are fighters, and that’s what we do, fight anyone.
“All the time, it’s a war, an exciting show for all the fans. That’s why they have so many fights. Yes, many times in Guadalajara,” Ramírez said when asked if he had ever faced Canelo.
“I used to be a middleweight at the time, and it was a great experience for me. I was at middleweight, then super middleweight, then light heavyweight. For me, it’s 50-50,” Ramirez said when asked who wins between Canelo and David Benavidez. “I like them both, but I think it’s an interesting fight.
“Yes, of course. If he [Benavidez] moves up [to 175], eventually that fight will happen, and people want to see that fight too. We have to give the fans what they want.
“I think they’re both good but with a totally different style,” Ramirez said when asked who would be harder to prepare for, Canelo or Benavidez? “I think it’s a good game for everyone.
“I think Benavidez has more speed and yes [one-punch power than Canelo]. I think Benavidez. He is bigger than Canelo.
“You have to risk something, and you have to do everything you can in the ring in the fight. No matter. You have to take hits,” Ramirez said when asked if he would have to take hits from Bivol to connect on his shots.
“I will win for sure, and it will be everything for me, all the goals that I have been trying to achieve because I want to achieve many goals. this is one of these [fights]. It will be an honor for me to represent Mexico and all Latinos.
“Yes, of course, I will avenge all Mexicans. Of course, that’s the fight people want to see,” Ramirez said of a fight against IBF, WBC and WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed championship.
